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Have you ever had those times in your life when a certain word or concept comes at you from all different angles? Most recently the word “faith” has been showing up everywhere for me. It’s been highlighted in my devotionals, in my reading of Scripture and then yesterday as I was putting away my laundry, I pulled out a T-shirt that had the word “faith” written on it. It really caught my attention because I was feeling like the word was everywhere I looked. I reached into my laundry basket and pulled out another T-shirt that had the word “faith” on it! And believe it or not, I reached in and pulled out a third T-shirt that had the word “faith” on it! Now let me just stop and say that I had never set out to buy T-shirts with that word on it, in fact I had never noticed before how many shirts I owned with that word on it. And, I have MANY other shirts to do not have the word Faith on it! So there they were, all stacked on top of each other and as I carried them over to my dresser, but I couldn’t bring myself to actually put them in the drawer. God was trying to tell me something so I just left them on my dresser as a reminder.
God, what are you trying to tell me? Honestly, I’ve been in a wilderness season. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, consider yourself lucky. Think of when the Israelites were walking around in the wilderness for 40 years before they entered “the promised land.” The wilderness is a time of preparation, a time of refinement, a time of learning, and most importantly a time of trusting God. Trusting that all of His promises are real. Trusting that He is who He says He is. Trusting that He has a plan. Trusting that He really is in control. Trusting that His intentions for us are good.
We can all learn about God and be knowledgeable about Him but in the wilderness, we are challenged to put the rubber to the road. We are challenged to use what we have learned and to put it into practice. We are challenged to walk by FAITH. There’s our word! Faith is believing in something we can’t see.
God is teaching me the power of BELIEVING when I can’t see. The power of BELIEVING that He is for me, not against me. The power of BELIEVING that good is coming. The power of BELIEVING that things are going to turn around. The power of BELIEVING to have hope.
Our mind is so very powerful. When we agree with God and His goodness, we can’t be agreeing with despair or fear or any other thought process that wants to take us down the dark road.
In fact, in my prayer time, God recently gave me this vision of FAITH. Scripture tells us that we have been given a “shield of faith” (Ephesians 6:16). God showed me what this “shield of faith” looks like and what it does. I saw this huge arc shaped shield. It was stainless steel material and it was extremely shiny. God’s light was reflecting off of this shield and the reflection was so bright, it was blinding. God spoke to me that when we have faith and we believe God for His promises, His light is shed on our shields and blinds our spiritual enemy.
Are you struggling? Are you in the wilderness? Is someone you know struggling? Start believing that God is who He says He is and that He loves you and has your best interest in mind. Start believing for better. Start believing that whatever it is, it isn’t too big for God. As you choose to believe God, His light will hit your shield and blind all of your enemies!
Father, I thank you for showing us this picture of our shield of faith. Thank you that when we believe You and Your promises, that faith blinds the darkness that is trying to harm us. Help us to remember to hold out our shield and reflect your light. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
